Oiltanking tests drones

EYES IN THE SKIES

INSPECTION • DRONE TECHNOLOGY IS DEVELOPING APACE AND TERMINAL OPERATORS ARE INVESTIGATING WHAT THIS OFFERS THEM. OILTANKING IS TAKING THINGS FURTHER

OILTANKING HAS BEEN exploring the potential offered by drones to enhance safety in the operation of its bulk liquids terminals. While some terminal operators have been using drones, primarily to assist in tank and infrastructure inspection, for some time, by teaming up with Azur Drones, Oiltanking has found plenty of other benefits for its Copenhagen terminal in Denmark.

The drone technology provided by Azur Drones effectively supplements existing comprehensive measures - such as regular inspections by operators and fixed video surveillance - with a holistic, flexible and smart GPS driven monitoring system of Oiltanking’s operations. But that is only scratching the surface of the potential.

Azur Drones’ fully autonomous Skeyetech system provides round-the-clock service and security. It carries out day and night security patrols, as well as operation-specific flights, such as pipeline inspection during imports and exports or during pumping to Copenhagen’s Kastrup airport (CPH).

More than that, though, the thermal imaging camera attached to the drones allows them to monitor temperature control on specific pumps. The Skeyetech drone is ready to take off 24/7 from its on-site docking station and is operated directly from Oiltanking Copenhagen Terminal control room thanks to its integrations into the existing video surveillance software of the site. The installation of this technology has been authorised by the Danish Civil Aviation Administration.

DRONES OFFER A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE TERMINAL

WITH ADDED SAFETY AND SECURITY MONITORING LINKED MORE THAN SECURITY “Health, safety, and environmental protection are key values for Oiltanking,” says Karl Henrik Dahl, vice-president Nordics at Oiltanking, one of the largest independent tank storage providers for gases, chemicals and petroleum products worldwide. “The fully autonomous drone technology not only allows us to support our operations while strengthening the security and safety of our sites but also enhances the use of smart and sophisticated digital technology at our sites.” Indeed, Oiltanking sees the application as part of its digital transformation, which includes the use of smart and sophisticated digital technologies at its sites.

“We are excited with our collaboration with Oiltanking, which highlights new applications for Skeyetech beyond surveillance,” adds Jean-Marc Crépin, CEO of France-based Azur Drones, one of the world leaders in drone-in-a-box solutions. “This deployment in Denmark, which comes after many other deployments on sensitive and industrial sites, demonstrates our ability to successfully deploy fully autonomous systems abroad, even in the Coronavirus context. Since the beginning of the year, Azur Drones has been accelerating Skeyetech deployments in line with its global ambitions.”

Oiltanking’s Copenhagen terminal offers 460,000 m³ of storage capacity for clean petroleum products and fuel oil. By installing modern autonomous drone technologies, Oiltanking says it is enhancing its safety performance and improving operations management at the site.

Based in Mérignac in south-west France and with offices in Paris and Dubai, Azur Drones acquired the Skeyetech startup in 2017 to be able to offer an out-of-the-box solution for security monitoring of sensitive sites. Since then, it has worked on developing a fully autonomous system that can link with a site’s security network, providing real-time high-definition video and immediate assessment. There are now more than 150 users of the Skeyetech system, which has logged up more than 10,000 operational flights. www.oiltanking.com www.azurdrones.com

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